Heroes & Masks
by Drunk Scholar
Summary: You are a slave to society. Trapped in an unjust game with little chance of winning. Awake Hero from thy slumber and seize your future. For better or worse, Ruby Rose has been drafted into a dangerous game between fate, freewill, freedom, and servitude. Her choices will soon decide what it truly means to be a hero for herself and those that join her. Loosely based on P5.
1. I

_**Awake. Hero.**_

Yelping, one Ruby Rose tumbled out of bed and groaned as she swiftly kissed the floor. With eyes still closed, she sleepily rolled about for a few minutes. Most people would say that this was a terrible start to the day, but embarrassingly enough this was just her norm.

Yup. If she closed her eyes hard enough, she could almost believe that this was just another day for her.

Ignoring the slight taste of floor wax now stuck on her mouth, she pushed herself up. She needed to get ready, willingly or not, unfortunately. The day waited for no one after all, just like her mom said. She wiggled from side to side; slowly breaking free of the binds she called her bed sheets.

Finally freeing herself, she blearily forced her eyes open and sighed immediately at the sight before her. The room, her room, was completely bare.

Her posters. Gone.

Her plushies. Packed up.

Even her workbench and schematics; archived and on a truck somewhere. Everything was gone, and she was the one who had to put it all away.

Well not exactly… She could feel the edges of her lips as they curved downwards at the thought. They weren't gone per say, just moving towards another place, the place that she was going to have to stay at for the next year or so.

The reminder of that truth really hurt her. She had never really travelled far, and now she had to leave everything she knew on Patch to go to someplace far way, and it honestly frightened her. It also was painful leaving everything behind, her parents, Zwei, her frie-, the TV. Yeah, their TV was awesome…. Nobody ever wanted to leave that thing.

Interrupting her thoughts however was a soft knock on the door. Putting on a slightly forced smile as she turned towards it, she answered chirpily, "Who is it?" Hey, she had a reputation as an optimist to keep up.

"Ruby?" A voice echoed back, stifled by the thick wood of the door.

"Mom!" she exclaimed excitedly. Her mom was awesome with a capital A. Busy as she usually was, she had always been there for her, and Ruby supposed that today was no exception.

Hearing the door click open, her mom walked into the room with a bright smile and the same grace that she constantly exuded everywhere. Bridging the gap quickly, she brought Ruby into a tight a hug. "Good morning, my little rose," she said ethereally.

"Mornin', Mom." She replied back, voice muffled by the older woman's clothes.

She was going to miss this. Ruby was absolutely sure of that. Summer Rose was her hero, and 'super mom' was an understatement in her mind. Even when people constantly spoke about the similarities between them, she never truly believed any of it. After all, she could only dream of being as mature, elegant, and awesome!

Tightening her arms, she tried her best to keep it together as she held the hug. She wasn't going to cry, she promised herself that at least. "I'm going to miss you so much," she breathed out finally.

"I know, I know," she could feel her mom's hands gently rubbing the top of her head, "I'm going to miss you too. Your father's going to miss you as well."

Reluctantly breaking the hug, she slowly pulled away. Ruby could feel her stomach dropping at the mention of her father. "Really?" She tilted her face upwards, closely watching her mother's expression. Her dad had been absolutely livid for the past month, and they hadn't even spoken since that night she got home, though she couldn't really blame him for that.

"I know that it hasn't been the best month for you and him," her mother began, eyes remained locked on her own, "but know that your father does love you. He always has, and always will."

"I know, but-" Ruby paused, interrupted by the strong finger now firmly placed on her lips.

"He's been trying, Ruby. Trying so hard to get you out of this… I don't even know how many favours he's tried to call or loopholes he's searched for."

She nodded slowly in understanding. It was reassuring to know that her dad still tried to mitigate the consequences, even if it was hidden behind his anger. "Thanks for telling me then, mom."

Her mother chuckled, "Your father is useless with his emotions," Ruby snorted at that, "and so are you," she pouted at this one, "nothing would ever get resolved if I didn't push both of you in the right direction. Just remember, he'll always be there for you when the chips are down."

"Yeah, I mean he's gotta keep up with you as super dad right?"

With mirth dancing in her eyes, her mother brought her into another hug. Though this time, it was her mother who tightened the hug shortly thereafter. "You know that I'm proud of you right Ruby?"

Her mood mellowed quickly as the reality of her situation barged to the forefront of her mind. "I know… just do you think I did the right thing?"

"Nope."

"Wha-"

"Nope."

"Mom-"

"Ruby," her mother's stern but kind voice interjected, "you are my daughter, and one of the kindest, most selfless, and loving people on this planet. So let me ask you instead, do you believe that you did the right thing?"

"Yes," Ruby answered immediately in response.

Her mother smiled and affectionately rubbed her hair, "Good. Don't question your morality again, Ruby; at least, not about this. You did the right thing. I don't agree with how you did it, but you did the right thing."

"I know, mom, but it's not going to be easy."

"Yes…" Summer frowned when their eyes met, frustration evident on her expression, "The world doesn't always reward good, unfortunately. But-"

"I chooseth this fate of mine own free will. The old Rose family motto…"

"Exactly, every action will have consequences and we have to live with them. But you're strong, and I believe that you'll get through this somehow. Understand?"

"Yes." She answered back, feeling slightly better.

* * *

"Are you ready to leave?"

"Yes, dad."

The blond man before her sighed at her brief response, scratching the back of his head as he did so. It was such a dad thing to do, and she couldn't help but smile at the familiar sight.

"There's a smile." Her dad said as he carried the last of her bags into the car. With a large thump, he closed the trunk with a strong huff and turned to face her fully. A small and obviously strained smile plastered on him.

Silence permeated between them for quite some time, and Ruby was the first to break. "Dad, I'm sorry." She spoke softly, suddenly finding the ground incredibly fascinating.

"No, Ruby." Ruby's head perked up, mouth agape in surprise, "yes, I'm apologizing so stop looking like that." Her dad walked forward, placing a hand on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry, kiddo. I should've been there for you this month, and I just wasn't… You'll never know how much I regretted that. I feel like I've failed you big time."

"It's alright. Mom already told me that you've been trying to get me out of this."

Her dad shook his head and chuckled, "That woman…"

"Best thing that's ever happened to you right?"

"Damn straight."

She gasped, "SWEAR JAR!"

"You're fifteen, not five. We don't keep one for you anymore!"

They naturally shared a laugh and Ruby smiled, finally some normalcy. Jokes were always a constant thing between them.

It was great having her dad back.

* * *

"You have your-"

"Yes, third time you've asked, Dad." Perhaps Ruby spoke too soon about how great it was having her dad back to normal. She almost forgot how 'dad' he got sometimes…

"Address?"

"In the pocket."

"Rules when dealing with boys-"

"Tai, stop." Her mother shoots a glare at the man, and for that she gave her mother a mental hug in thanks.

"Thanks, mom."

"No problem, sweetie. So what are _my_ rules about boys?"

"MOM?!"

"Come now, you're at that age where-"

"LALALALALA, I CAN'T HEAR YOU!" This was not a topic she wanted to discuss again after last time. Ruby was never able to look at a banana and grapefruit the same way again.

Her mother sighed in defeat. "Well, can we at least get a hug then?"

Considering the fact that they were at the airport and that this was probably the last time she'd see them in-person for a year? Yes, that was definitely something Ruby could and wanted to provide.

Bringing both of her parents close to her, she hugged them tightly. She'd miss them, but like her mom said, she was strong. She'd get through this, one way or another.

The familiar chimes on the PA system signalled the arrival of her flight and reluctantly, she released her hold on them. Meeting their eyes with a smile, she bid them goodbye and quickly turned away to get to her gate.

"Say hi to Raven for us!"

"Don't hang out with Qrow too much, bastard's a bad influence!"

Ruby laughed inwardly. It wasn't a perfect farewell, but it definitely screamed the uniqueness of her family.


	2. II

**II.**

Vale was a different place entirely from the small island of Patch that Ruby was used to. Bustling streets, tall buildings, and a stupid amount of shining lights that made it hard to believe that night was even arriving soon, everything she saw just exuded different.

It was cool, exciting, and all the more daunting for the red hooded teen.

Nonetheless, with Scroll in hand and a generally positive attitude, she marched onwards towards the address given to her by her parents. The supposed home of her Uncle Qrow and… Aunt Raven?

That relationship was complicated; at least that's what it seemed to be, judging from the way her dad's mood seemed to swing whenever Raven was mentioned anyway. It was probably better for her health to not even dwell on it too much.

It wasn't all bad though. Even if they've only met a few times, Uncle Qrow was the coolest. He was interesting, funny, fun, and constantly smelled like booze…

Okay, maybe it wasn't going to be all that good. But Ruby had faith in her future. She was a damn Rose, strong, stubborn, and able to overcome any adversity thrown her way. This was like an adventure for her, a grand quest to conquer and gain booty from.

So with a renewed sense of pep in her strides, Ruby puffed up her chest and boldly walked through the streets of Vale. With a small smile growing on her, she hummed a cheery tune.

* * *

Finally arriving at her destination, she barely avoided dropping her Scroll alongside her jaw. Ruby wasn't afraid of admitting that her imagination went a little wild with speculating about what her new abode would look like. A penthouse apartment, a mansion, or maybe even a cozy little townhouse snuggled into a street corner or something, but never would she have imagined this!

A BAR?! A FREAKIN' BAR?! This was going to be her new home for the year?! It wasn't even on the main street; she had to scour through four different alleys to even find the thing. If this wasn't the definition of sketchy, then she didn't know what else would count.

Ruby began to pace in circles before the door, panic and uncertainty quickly building within her. Oum, was she going to be mugged every time she came outside? Was she even going to be able leave the neighbourhood?

"Hey kid."

IT WAS HAPPENING ALREADY! Aura or not, she really didn't feel like getting stabbed, and she wasn't even allowed to carry Crescent Rose around anymore, so fighting was out. Her mind scrambled to find an alternative.

Quickly pulling out her wallet, she pushed it towards the gruff voice in a panic, trying her best to appear as compliant as possible.

"Please, take it! It's all I have!" She said nervously.

"Woah, woah. This ain't a mugging."

"It's not?" She said tentatively. Still wary, she slowly pulled her wallet back into her pocket and turned an eye to take a quick glimpse at the man.

Tall, wrinkled grey dress shirt, tattered cloak trailing behind him, crimson eyes, messy stubble... she sniffed the air briefly, the distinct smell of booze. Ruby wanted to face palm, she knew this man.

"Uncle Qrow?"

The man raised an eyebrow, expression slightly more attentive now. "Only one person on this planet calls me that," he rubbed his eyes blearily before closing the gap between them, "that you Ruby?"

"Yup." She said, elongating the word with a smile.

"Well, I'll be damned, it's good to see ya' kid. Looking more like your mother every day," he said with a smirk, pulling out a flask as he did so, "but never mind that, what the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to arrive tomorrow?"

"Nope," she deadpanned, "today was the day."

"Really? Isn't it the fifth?"

"It's the sixth today."

Ruby stifled a giggle at how his eyes slowly widened as the reality of her answer dawned on him. He looked genuinely surprised, and how he could even lose track of the day was beyond her, but it was an amusing sight nonetheless.

"Damn. I was planning to pick you up at the airport and everything too. Sorry about that," he gave her shoulder a strong pat, "I'll make it up to you soon."

"It's fine, Uncle Qrow, I got to explore Vale on my own and that was pretty cool."

He chuckled, "Great sense of optimism, good to see you still have it. Well, might as well come in then, it's opening time soon."

* * *

A bell chimed as Qrow opened the door, Ruby following closely as they both entered the bar. The moment she set foot into it, it felt like she had entered a different era entirely.

"Welcome to Asgard, kid." She nodded absentmindedly at her uncle's words.

Rather than the bright lights and colours of the concrete jungle that was the city of Vale, the bar was much more subdued and rustic. It was dimly lit and almost all the furnishings were made entirely of wood, the only mechanical exception being the big TV and sound system in the back corner of the room.

The layout was also somewhat claustrophobic, on the right was… well the bar, and on the left were a couple of booths that sat four to six people. Behind the bar sat a wall with an innumerable number of drinks in her eyes, ranging from recognizable brands of coffee to foreign-sounding booze that was probably worth more than her yearly allowance.

It was a much nicer place than what she originally thought it would be, but Ruby nonetheless felt out of place. For Oum's sake, it was a damn bar. This was far from the natural habitat of the socially awkward animal that she was.

"HEY RAVEN! LOOK WHO I FOUND OUTSIDE?" Her uncle hollered, shocking her out of her thoughts.

Coming around the corner in response was a tall woman with long raven hair, a confident gait present as she walked towards them with an annoyed expression. "I swear to Oum, Qrow, if you brought in Rick again, I'm going to skin- who's this?"

"C'mon, sis. Take a closer look." Her uncle brought her forward, as if presenting a lion with their meal.

To be fair though, Ruby felt the comparison to be rather accurate. Standing directly before the woman was an intimidating experience, and the way her eyes narrowed and expression stiffened was definitely not helping.

"So you're her," Raven drawled neutrally, arms crossed underneath her chest.

Ruby could feel the temperature in the room dropping. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again; unsure of what she could even possibly say. In the end, rather than risk embarrassing herself she decided on a simple introduction, "I'm Ruby Rose, it's nice to meet you, Aunt Raven."

The woman began to scowl at her.

"I mean sir-r!"

And now her scowl had deepened.

"Ma'am, I mean ma'am. It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am!"

The woman sighed, shaking her head as she pinched the bridge of her nose. She could hear her uncle holding back his laughs poorly behind her, but Ruby was still too intimidated to berate him for it.

"You are most definitely Summer's daughter… and Tai's spawn considering your bumbling nature." Raven said exasperatedly.

"Yeah," she replied awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck as she shuffled her legs absentmindedly from side to side.

"Anyways, I suppose I welcome you to my humble abode then, Ruby Rose." Surprisingly enough, Raven brought her hand forward for a handshake.

Releasing a sigh of relief inwardly at the end of that gong show, Ruby took the hand enthusiastically and shook it, wincing slightly though at the strength of the woman's grip. "I'm happy to be here!"

The grip on her hand tightened at her reply, and Ruby could feel a strong glare now on her. "Do not lie to me or yourself. Your mother has already briefed me on why you are here, and it is not because you wanted to be."

Ruby grimaced. There went her optimism.

"You are here, Ruby, because you wanted to play hero, and you stepped on some important toes to do it," the grip on her hand lessened, "but you stood strong in your ideals, and I can respect that. That is why I have opened my home to you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am," Ruby replied immediately, facing the woman's gaze directly for the first time. She was surprised to see a small smile waiting for her on the woman's expression as it softened greatly.

"Good," Raven released her hand, "well then, the bar is opening soon and I'd rather not have a minor in it. Your room's the last one on the right. We'll talk more tonight so get some rest."

Obviously being dismissed, she nodded at the woman and waved goodbye towards her uncle before quickly walking up the stairs. It had been a long day, and the sweet embrace of a proper bed was very tempting to her ears.

* * *

 **Hero… welcome to my Velvet Room.**


	3. III

**III.**

Feeling a stiff crick in her neck, Ruby yawned and opened her eyes. She felt tired, unbelievably so considering she fell fast asleep the moment her head hit the pillow. It was annoying to say the least.

She lifted her hand to rub out the weariness in her eyes, fighting back another yawn as she did so. She supposed it was about time to get up anyways, Raven wanted to speak with her and Oum knows that she wanted to keep a decent impression.

Getting up, her attempts at walking were met with immediate failure. She felt something tug at her heels, tethering her to her be- chair?! Her mind whirled at the sight; after all, she was supposed to be in bed, not wherever this was.

Ruby swiftly began turning her head to gain a better sense of her surroundings, shifting her eyes towards anything that gained her attention. This place was most definitely part of a dream, some twisted mindscape a part of her conjured up, she was sure of it.

The room was brightly lit with a large gaudy chandelier being the centerpiece of the room's lighting. Pews as far as the eye could see stretched out behind her, and before her was a tall, imposing bench with a singular throne-like chair behind it. Everything in here was in a dark shade of velvet blue, further adding to the ominous atmosphere of her new surroundings.

She could feel her heartbeat increasing rapidly as it pounded against her insides, while her stomach felt like every bit of air in it had been stolen. She recognized this place, a place she hoped she'd never be back in.

It was a court room.

Every fibre of her being called out for her to escape, to activate her Semblance and leave this horrid place in the dust, to leave it as nothing more than a bad memory. Turning around, she noticed the chain that tethered her and pulled on it desperately.

She had Aura dammit; this was supposed to be simple, it was nothing more than a simple chain. She continued to tug, channelling every bit of her power into her arms, hoping for at least something to happen.

But alas, the chain remained firm and she slumped back into the chair in defeat. Swallowing the growing ball of spit in her mouth, she forced herself to remain calm. This was nothing more than a nightmare she affirmed confidently, it was a vivid one, but it would definitely come to pass and she would be on her way.

Yeah… absolutely nothing to worry about, absolutely, positively, definitely, nothing could possibly go wrong.

*BANG*

She yelped as a door slammed open behind her, the sound was followed shortly thereafter by the growing but steady beats of footsteps.

"ALL RISE FOR THE ENTRANCE OF OUR HONORABLE MASTER!" A voice echoed behind her. The tone was child-like, but the slight twinge of underlying sadism made Ruby instinctively adhere to its instructions.

Standing rigidly, she kept her eyes staring forward. Waiting for the moment where she could finally meet or at least lay eyes on the people she was sharing this dream with.

Entering her vision though was probably one of the most unique trios she'd ever seen in her life. None of them were particularly tall, but that would probably have to do with the fact that two of them were clearly children, while the only male of the group seemed to be a hunched over old man.

She observed the man as he ascended the steps to the judge bench and took a seat on it with an impossibly wide grin. With sharp ears, wide open eyes that never seemed to blink and an odd amalgamation of long white hair that she couldn't even begin to wrap her head around considering he was mostly bald, it was no wonder she immediately found him unsettling.

"Hero… welcome to my Velvet Room." The man spoke, voice deep and menacing to her ears.

Ruby wanted out now! With a voice like that there was no way she was staying anywhere near this man. She needed a FREAKIN' ADULT! ONE THAT WAS NOT HIM PREFERABLY!

"Pay attention, defendant!" A baton slammed into the desk in front of her, violently shaking her out of her thoughts.

She had forgotten that the two of them were not alone. The man had arrived with two companions, both of whom she had now turned her attention to.

Both were dressed in velvet blue and black uniforms, reminiscent of a bastardized military uniform Ruby once saw on Patch. They were obviously twins, with matching blond hair and golden eyes. Each of them also wore a black eye-patch on opposite eyes, presenting a rather formidable image in their own right. A somewhat impressive feat considering that they were children.

"I said, PAY ATTENTION!"

"YE-es, ma'am!" Ruby stuttered out, once again shocked by the baton loudly slamming the desk in front of her.

"Hmmph," the baton-wielding blond crossed her arms and smirked, "guess you do know some manners."

Her other half merely sighed exasperatedly, rolling her eyes before speaking, "It seems you have already noticed, but the you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are only experiencing this as a dream. So if you will, please pay attention to our master's explanation."

Finally returning her attention to the only other person in the room, Ruby found the old man somehow widening his grin even further. "Welcome, I am delighted to make your acquaintance."

She gaped slightly before replying hesitantly, "The feeling's mutual?"

The man chuckled, eyes dancing with mirth as he continued to grin at her. Whether he was finding her discomfort or the sheer absurdity of the situation amusing, Ruby did not know. Nevertheless, she wasn't sure that she wanted to know either.

"This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those bound by a 'contract' can enter." The man paused, tapping his long fingers rhythmically on his table, "My name is Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

She nodded at him, gulping slightly.

Igor continued after acknowledging her reply, "I have summoned you to speak of important matters. It involves your life as well."

"Important matters?" Ruby intoned, tilting her head slightly. I mean yeah, she's heard of dreams telling people something important, but this was definitely overkill in that department.

"Indeed," he paused and took a look around, "still, this is a surprise. The state of this room reflects the state of _your_ heart. The room of every guest has been unique, but to think a court room would appear as such. You truly are a 'victim' of so-called justice."

Ruby cringed, her right hand gripping her left arm tightly. The man made no indication that he noticed the tic though as he continued, "In the near future, there is no mistake that… ruin awaits you."

"Ruin?" She said with eyes wide, her legs trembling slightly beneath her. Oum, this was pathetic of her, being scared to death by the ominous warnings of her own dreamscape.

"I speak of the end to everything," Igor paused and his eyes seemed to brighten slightly, "However, there is a means to oppose such a fate."

"HOW?!" She questioned immediately. Dream or not, a problem that could be fixed should be fixed in her opinion. It was the reason she had chosen to be a huntress long since her childhood days, because she wanted to make a difference in the right direction, whether or not it got her into trouble… Ruby sighed inwardly at the thought, this was all probably merely a part of her imagination, but on the small off-chance that it was indeed real, it was going to be bad.

"You must be 'vindicated', vindicated from all accusations and falsehoods to your name. That is your only means to avoid ruin…" Resting his head on one hand, he pointed a long finger at her with the other, "Do you have the resolve to challenge the distortion of the world?"

Silence was shared amongst them as she ruminated on his words. Ruin? Distortion? Vindication? None of it was making any sense in her head, but nothing good could ever come out of ruin, right?

She shook her head and sighed, steeling herself as she met his gaze onwards, "I'd rather avoid ruin, so yes."

"Most excellent, most excellent indeed… Allow me then to observe your path to freedom." Igor shifted slightly in his seat, now turning his attention to the twins, "Ah, pardon me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as officers here, but you will be better acquainted with them later."

"Later?" Ruby inquired tiredly. Weariness had suddenly returned to her in full force. She could feel her arms and legs as they grew heavier, while her consciousness slowly began to drift into a sleepy haze.

"Yes, unfortunately the night is waning… It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually… " Igor continued to smile at her as her vision began to blur.

"Night-night, defendant."

"Pleasant dreams."

With those parting words in her ears, Ruby slumped to the floor.

* * *

 **All will be revealed soon child.**


	4. IV

**IV.**

Groaning, Ruby batted her arm sleepily. As her dreams escaped quickly into the ether, she could feel someone shaking her awake, and it was most definitely unwelcomed. "Five more minutes," she pulled the sheets tighter to her face, "mom…"

"Kid, I'm neither pretty enough nor sober enough to ever be your mom." Her eyes shot wide open at the obviously masculine voice, and instinctively, she yelped and kicked herself out of bed.

Now wide awake, she found herself standing before her surrogate uncle, his mouth upturned slightly in amusement. She would never admit it to anyone else, but she kind of wanted to slug him. "What're you even doing here?"

The man merely chuckled in reply, nonplussed by the sight of her pout or the annoyed tapping of her foot. "What? Can't a man share the sunrise with his niece?"

Oh yeah, she wanted to slug him hard.

Releasing a sigh, she shook her head and asked, "What time is it?"

"About 5 o'clock. Breakfast's ready downstairs, if you want any." He turned and began walking towards the door, "C'mon, time's wasting."

Her eyes began to widen in horror. "Wait, you're serious?" Rather than providing an answer, the man simply chuckled and closed the door behind him as he exited. "UNCLE QROW?!"

She only heard raucous laughter in reply from the opposite side of the door.

* * *

Shivering slightly from the cold morning air as she stood just outside the bar, she stretched her arms upwards towards in the sky. Behind her, Qrow was fiddling with a set of keys, grumbling something probably expletive to himself in an attempt to lock up the place.

Taking a not so insignificant bit of vindictive pleasure at her uncle's small misfortune, she smiled underneath her red hood. That'll teach him to drag her out of bed at an ungodly hour. She was a morning person, but this was honestly pushing it.

"Alright, we ready to go?"

Finding Qrow now beside her, she glared slightly at him but nonetheless nodded, "Lead on."

"Yeeesh," he put a hand on her shoulder, "stop lookin' like that or you'll end up turning into my sister. Besides, Raven wanted to wake you up at 2 in the morning to talk to ya. Lucky for you though, I played interference. "

"She mentioned that last night," Ruby said with a subtle scowl, "why though?"

"She wanted to get you orientated, house rules, plans, that stuff, but that's my job now. Plus, we might as well kill two birds with one stone and get you set up for school later. Now c'mon, a little early morning adventure never hurt anyone did it?" Jostling her lightly, they both began walking out of the alley.

He wasn't really wrong per se. Releasing a soft sigh she supposed she could look it at a more positive light. "Guess I am a little excited to see more of the city."

"And you won't be disappointed, the ol' Qrow guarantee."

Still feeling a little cheeky as they turned onto the main road, she turned towards him and said, "What if you're wrong?"

"Well," he raised his flask and countered, "then I guess I'll stay sober for a week."

"You'd never survive," she said incredulously, the edges of her lips rising greatly alongside her amusement. "Dad says that you could count the days of the year you're ever sober on one hand."

Dramatically clutching his chest with one hand, and covering his face with the other, Qrow theatrically feigned hurt in response. "That's a low blow, kid."

"But he's not wrong though, is he?"

"Absolutely not," he snorted, "but on the bright side, it at least means I almost never disappoint someone."

* * *

"Woaahhh…" That was all Ruby could let out of her mouth as her hands gripped tightly on the railings. The sight before her stirred an innumerable number of feelings within her, but she was sure that it would be a blatant lie to say that the sight before her didn't take her breath away.

It was amazing enough that she was here of all places, exposed to its illustrious grandeur and all. Earlier than expected maybe, and definitely not in the circumstances she imagined herself in, but she was nonetheless here.

But this was on another level entirely. With some hesitance, she had allowed her Qrow to lead her through the historical landscape and sights to a locked door in the heart of the school. How his Scroll even unlocked the door was something she didn't even want to know. But, as they reached the top of the seemingly infinite spiral staircase behind the door, she could now safely say that it was most definitely worth it.

After all, Beacon Academy, proving grounds of many a badass, now stood far below her. And even knowing the fact that Qrow was smirking somewhere behind her at her reaction couldn't deter her skyrocketing mood.

"Alright, alright, pick up your jaw off the floor already," Qrow strutted up beside her, "sun's going to come up soon, and you definitely don't want to miss this."

"So how exactly did you find this place?" she asked, turning towards him. "I mean there has to be story to how you found this tower."

Chuckling, Qrow twisted pulled out his flask and began turning it in his hand, "You wouldn't be wrong, Ruby, but it's not much. This is the only clock tower on campus that faces east and has a clear shot of the sunrise, and we found it by accident."

"Wait, we?"

"You heard right," he smirked, "your parents, Raven, and obviously myself, got a hold of the code for the door in our first week here, so we decided to take a look. Unsurprisingly, it became our regular hangout spot. Our little secret base, if you will."

"That's so cool," Ruby exclaimed.

He hummed affirmatively in reply, "A base befitting the coolest people to ever graduate out of these hallowed halls. Believe it or not, it was Raven's idea to come up here once in a while to watch the sunrise. Only team tradition she really happily took part in, at least initially." He took a swig of his flask and tapped her on the shoulder, "look alive, sun's up."

Over the horizon, gold and orange hues bled like a bright fire, slowly growing upwards as it extended its reach beyond the tall skyscrapers of the city of Vale. An easy breeze picked up as the sun continued to rise, blowing loose strands of her hair and her cloak. It wasn't long before the sun's rays began to touch the courtyard of the academy, and soon thereafter, it kissed the top of the tower where she and Qrow stood.

Ruby smiled. Qrow was right, she wasn't disappointed at all.

* * *

Ruby was disappointed.

"Ms. Rose, are you listening to me?" The man before her said gruffly as he slammed his hand on the table.

She flinched slightly in response. She was very disappointed, and Qrow better hold off the booze for the next week. "Yes, Headmaster Lionheart."

"Good," the man stated plainly as he folded his hands and rested his elbows on the table, "I must remind you again that it is a privilege to be attending our prestigious academy, not only early for someone your age, but for someone with your… record. This has only been made possible due to the kindness of some of our board members and sponsors. So I will tolerate nothing but your best behaviour during your time here. Everything you do will not only reflect on the school, but our sponsors as well. So do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, sir," she replied solemnly.

The man eyed her reproachfully, his distrust blatantly displayed on his expression. "Very well, I will trust you, for now at least. We have no room in our dorms for any new additions, but there will be no issue as you will be staying in Vale, correct?"

She merely nodded.

"Excellent. Your schedule will be sent to your Scroll, alongside any other relevant information. Be on time here tomorrow or not here at all." The headmaster pulled out a stamp and slammed it onto the sheet before him, pushing the piece of paper towards her shortly thereafter. "Welcome to Beacon Academy, Ms. Rose. You are officially our first criminal probationary student in over 50 years."

Ruby inwardly sighed. This was her life now…


	5. V

**AN: There are two details that are intentionally missing here that are present in the game.**

 **Hint 1: It is needed but was initially wished to be deleted.**

 **Hint 2: A trademark being of the Persona series does not appear here.**

* * *

 **V.**

Ruby had a hard time deciding whether rain was something she enjoyed, or absolutely hated. Her opinion on this shifted from one end of the spectrum to the other regularly. On one hand, she had good memories about jumping into mud puddles as a kid, and on the other, she also remembered the time she slipped face-first into a mud puddle.

Today though she had to agree with the latter, it was rather inconvenient. It was pouring, and in her haste to prove to Headmaster Lionheart that she was a good student, she had forgotten to bring an umbrella along when she left the bar early. Hence, she now found herself standing silently underneath the covers of Beacon Academy's Bullhead station, staring blankly onwards as the weather continued to worsen.

Ruby contemplated if she could afford to run the 100 meter distance towards the academy's entrance. She had a speed semblance right? How bad could it possibly be?

"Hey, do-"

What could go wrong? The uniform had a blazer, so she could cover her head with it. She'd feel like a wet dog for the rest of the day, but at least her bag would stay dry. Wait a minute; she had her cloak, none of this should even be a problem. So dry Ruby and dry bag is a happy Ruby.

"Hell-"

Now that she mentioned it, did she even bring everything she needed today? Scroll? Check. Notebook? Check. Heavy-Caliber sniper rounds for her baby? Check. She smiled to herself; after all, that was definitely the most important bit.

"HEY!"

Ruby squeaked shrilly as her mind suddenly registered the person standing beside her. Her ears had begun to ring lightly from their shout and she rubbed them tenderly in an attempt to dull the pain. The day was just getting better for her, wasn't it?

Turning to face her ear destroyer, a small pout primed and readied on her expression, she found herself meeting a pair of bright lilac-coloured eyes glinting with obvious amusement. The person before her was obviously female (and no, Ruby was not feeling intimidated due to some glaring physiological differences) with long, bright, golden hair, and whom simply radiated confidence in spades.

"Jeez, that finally got your attention?" the girl said while rolling her eyes. "Sorry about shouting, but you really spaced out there."

Groaning internally, Ruby looked away sheepishly before replying, "Yeah… do that sometimes." Returning to face the blonde though, she narrowed her eyes and questioned, "But why were you even trying to get my attention anyways?"

"You looked a little lost about the rain," the blonde said offhandedly, who then raised an umbrella in her hand, "and thought you might appreciate some help."

"Really?" Ruby asked sceptically.

"Yes, so stop looking like that. I'm just trying to be nice here."

Shrugging off her leftover scepticism, Ruby decided that there really was no harm in accepting. "Thanks. I'm Ruby Rose," she said with a smile, "and I'm a recently transferred, definitely normal, huntress-in-training."

"One, nobody normal ever calls themselves that," Ruby winced, she had a point, "and two, name's Yang Br-, Yang, 2nd year huntress-in-training."

"Cool," the red reaper's eyes began to sparkle at a sudden thought, "can I see your weapon?"

Looking away in reply though, Yang scoffed, "Can't. It's not with me right now, so maybe later."

"Oh…"

"Never mind that though," the blonde said quickly before Ruby's old friend 'awkward silence' could pay her another visit, "I may not be able to show you my weapon, but since we're here early, I can show you around." Yang continued with a smile, "I know almost every nook and cranny about this place, which would definitely be useful for a newbie like you."

Considering that she already got one from Qrow, and another one from the headmaster the previous day, Ruby almost declined the offer before stopping herself immediately. Yang seemed cool, and an opportunity to make an actual friend was given to her on a silver platter. She was not going to throw this away. Hence, Ruby smiled instead and accepted.

"Nice. Got any place you want to go first?"

"You guys got a forge?"

The blonde laughed. "You're a real weapons nut, aren't you? C'mon, let me show you a few shortcuts on the way."

* * *

"Take a left here, Ruby. The forge is in a separate building with the gym, training rooms, and gun ranges." Turning to now face the teenage reaper fully, Yang presented the building behind her with a grin and a dramatic bow.

In reply though, Ruby subtly scrunched her nose and said, "Are you sure?"

"Of course I'm sure," the blonde scowled, "I know the building is a little old looking, but I can guarantee you that it's much better on the inside."

"I don't mean that… it's just, I dunno know, different and a little more insidious-looking than I remember?"

"Wait a moment, you already got a tour? Then what have we even been doing this whole time? And what do you mean insidious looking," Yang pivoted on the spot to face the building, "it's just a regular… WHAT THE HELL?!"

"I didn't even know we had any forts at Beacon," Ruby deadpanned. "At least not one that looks at home on a gothic horror movie set."

"We're not supposed to have any," Yang said softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I swear this is supposed to be it. I've been here for a year, there's no way I made a mistake."

"Maybe it's a prank or something?"

"Yeah maybe," the blonde nodded absentmindedly, "we should go in and see if we can get anyone to explain."

* * *

When Ruby pushed open the large double doors of the building's entrance, she was surprised by just how silent everything was. Aside from the subtle echoes of creaking wood and the simple click of the door closing behind them, the place was dead. All she could now hear were the Yang's footsteps and her own.

She could feel the hairs at the back of her neck slowly rising at the situation. Wherever she had went in life, there was always some form of ambient sound, animals, water, wind, anything, but here… the absence was rather unsettling.

Infusing her ears with Aura, she listened carefully for any sign of life. There just had to be someone here; nobody just disappeared into thin air for no reason.

Her ears twitched slightly and she let out a sigh of relief. Turning towards Yang, she smiled and said, "I can hear marching now."

True to her word, the uniform thumping of boots could be heard gradually growing louder in volume from the hallways around them. Soon thereafter, groups marched shoulder to shoulder into the room, arms and legs moving in perfect synchronicity. With black masks covering their visages, equally dark unassuming uniforms, and rifles on their backs, the group presented an intimidating image as they circled the red and gold duo.

Yang shook her head and sighed. Smirking now, she called out to the group before them, "Seriously? What's with all the military junk, this something the broody bull put you guys up to? It's tacky, but I gues-"

"SILENCE, HEATHEN!" The group chanted together.

The blonde's eyes widened in surprise before quickly narrowing, her eyes shifting to a dark ruby color, and she snarled, "What the hell is your problem?!"

"Yang," Ruby hissed while taking a step backwards as her instincts begun to flare wildly, "I think we need to go."

"No, Ruby. I'm getting to the bottom of this crap!" Returning to face the seemingly growing group around them, Yang settled into a classic boxer's stance and said, "Aren't you taking this prank a little far?!"

"WE HAVE NOTHING TO SAY TO YOU TRESPASSER."

"Great. First, a heathen, now a trespasser. Make up your damn mind, why don't you?" Yang quipped.

"SURRENDER FOR EXECUTION; YOU ARE TRESPASSING ON THE TERRITORY OF THE SUPREME COMMANDER."

"Execution? Surrender? Where are we now?" Yang scoffed and rolled her eyes. "The set of 'Galaxy Wars'?"

"Yang, stop aggravating them," said Ruby with a pleading look in her eyes. This was not a good situation by anyone's standards. They were surrounded, and the number of creepy mooks just seemed to keep growing before her eyes.

It didn't help either that the blonde beside her was intentionally trying to set all of them off.

They needed a quick way out and needed one now. Headmaster Lionheart hadn't returned Crescent Rose to her yet, stating that it was only to be used under strict supervision until further notice. Though, Ruby had to be frank that even if she did have her baby with her, their chances of fighting through all of them were dangerously low.

"We need to leave now."

"SURRENDER NOW!"

Glaring dismissively at the group, Yang ignored them and turned her back to face Ruby. "Pssht, why? Like hell they're gonna do anything."

Ruby's eyes widened and she dashed forward, hurtling into the surprised blonde and dragging her to the floor. "What are you doi-"

Fire erupted violently in the place they were both standing in just moments ago with a loud boom. The explosion's force rebounding clearly on her Aura, and though Ruby remained unharmed, she nonetheless felt the heat on her back with a grimace. Raising an eyebrow at the blonde, she asked, "You were saying?"

Recovering quickly from their stay on the floor, the duo formed up back to back. Yang returned to her boxing stance, and Ruby followed in her example, albeit much more hesitantly. "It's not a good day for your weapon to be in the shop is it?"

Chuckling darkly, Yang quipped, "Tell me about it. Doesn't seem like you have yours either, so what's the plan?"

"Aren't you the senior here?"

"I've never been good at planning things out."

"Tell me about it," Ruby replied back dryly. "I don't know what's going on, but we need to leave. We don't need to fight all of them, just through them."

Yang nodded stoically in agreement. "Follow me. Your stance sucks by the way. I'm no expert in hand-to-hand or anything, but you **suck**."

"Just start punching," Ruby deadpanned.

Yang's feet shone with Aura. Dashing forward in a burst of speed, she bent her knees and twisted, quickly executing an uppercut on the closest 'solider'. Not missing a beat, she carried onwards with her momentum, throwing another punch with her opposite arm into the next one's gut. Tilting slightly to avoid the butt of a rifle coming behind her, she pivoted and caught the man's arm, hurling him over her shoulder. Throwing in a solid kick to the family jewels for good measure, the move turned the man into a projectile, messily bowling over a good number of his comrades. Now finding herself with a bit more space, Yang continued pushing forward with relentless fervour.

Ruby followed closely behind, alongside a healthy dose of chaos. None of the 'soldiers' were using their rifles, presumably to avoid friendly fire, so they went after her with melee techniques. She wasn't afraid to admit that Yang was definitely right, her hand-to-hand absolutely sucked. Nevertheless, having one Taiyang Xiao Long as her dad had given her at least enough skills to keep the 'soldiers' from overwhelming them.

Using her Semblance as the main source of force, she jabbed punches at great speeds to the guts of whoever got close enough. Equal and opposite motion was the basis of her strategy, using the force to push off from one target to the next quickly but rather sporadically. It wasn't elegant, nor was there any technique to it, and the tight space was making it hard to control her Semblance, but it got the job done.

They continued like this for a while, throwing punches and kicks to whoever got too close. It wasn't long before Ruby spotted a gap in the circle. Spotting the opportunity quickly, she called out to Yang.

Dashing towards the exit, Ruby jumped and kicked herself up using the shoulders of a 'solider'. Flipping through the air, she landed gracefully outside the circle and readied herself to continue running. Turning to ensure that Yang was close behind, she bore witness to Yang bursting out of the circle with a spinning kick and a grin.

Ruby smiled, they were going to make it. Her expression faltered though when something glinted at the corner of her eye. Turning slightly to find its source, her eyes widened immediately at the sight, and she opened her mouth to shout.

*BANG*

"YANG!" Ruby's voice echoed throughout the chamber. A part of her wanted to break down and sob, but she quickly pushed it down when she noticed that the bullet hadn't pierced through the blonde's Aura.

It was enough to knock someone down though, throwing Yang towards the floor. Rushing forward, Ruby activated her Semblance and caught her. Yang gave her a prompt nod of thanks and pushed herself up.

*CLICK*

They froze at the sound, or sounds. Slowly tilting their head upwards, the duo found themselves staring down the barrel of a rifle. It wasn't long before their eyes spotted the other rifles pointed towards them in similar fashions. All was silent once more.

They were surrounded again.

Ruby held her breath for what seemed like an eternity. She could feel parts of her shaking, and she was not alone in this. The hand she still had on Yang's shoulder also shook slightly, though the fact that the blonde's eyes remained a fiery red told Ruby that fear and doubt were being squashed quickly.

She froze though when an unfitting sound cut through the silence, the sound of a single person clapping. Following shortly thereafter was a dark chuckle that sent shivers down Ruby's spine.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Trespassers?" The 'soldiers' slowly parted away, providing a path for a tall man in black with golden eyes and crimson hair. The man was confident, bordering on arrogant, and armed, on one hand, a matching crimson katana, and on the other, a gun-sheath.

"No, even worse," the man shook his head and grinned maliciously at them, "human scum."

Growling beside her, Yang glared at the man and spat, "Taurus."

"That's," in a flash of speed, he closed the distance and sent a swift kick towards Yang's cheek, "SUPREME COMMANDER TAURUS, YOU BITCH!" The move sending her a good meter away from Ruby, where she laid sprawled out on the floor with a pained groan. "I've wanted to do that for a long time, Branwen. You've been a thorn on my side."

Letting out a breath of shock, Ruby rose up in an attempt to reach Yang and help her up. She found herself swiftly failing to do so though when she felt her legs being swept from underneath her. Slamming hard onto the floor with a grunt, she felt her arms and back pinned to the ground by the 'soldiers' nearby.

"Keep the red one down," the man growled out, "I'm going to deal with this one first."

"GET AWAY FROM HER!" Ruby shouted from the ground, struggling wildly against her captors.

The man paused in his walk, glaring at her before sneering. "Weakling, stay silent. I'll deal with you soon enough…"

Ruby's vision began to blur as the man once more stood above Yang, his leg raised to deliver more punishment. She could feel the tears ready to burst, and her ears had begun to ring in an attempt to tune out the screams of pain and the mad ramblings of their instigator. There was nothing she could do but continue to plead for the man to stop. Her voice remained unheard or ignored, as everything spiralled further out of control. She had never felt this powerless before…

' _ **What's the matter, child? Will you simply give up then?** '_

Her eyes widened in panic, and her eyes darted from side to side. That voice…

' _ **Are you not someone who has sworn to do what must be done? What is necessary?** '_

' _Have you not resolved yourself to be a guide to those lost in the long night, the blade to cut down nightmares?'_

' _ **Death awaits her if you do nothing**.' _

' _ **Death awaits her if you do not push yourself beyond human boundaries.** '_

' _ **Death awaits her if you do not join the hunt.** '_

' _ **So, what will you do young hunter?** '_

Baffled, scared, and lost. Ruby nonetheless knew one thing though; she would do anything to save Yang right now. Closing her eyes and gritting her teeth, she nodded in reply.

The disembodied chuckled heartily, its tone obviously tainted with pride, and a hint of sorrow.

' _ **Very well… I have heeded your resolve.** '_

Ruby felt heat spreading through her before quickly devolving into pain. The world around her seemed to dissolve, and at some point, she had begun to scream out.

' _ **Vow to me.** '_

' _ **I am thou, thou art I…** '_

' _ **Thou who art willing to perform all acts for the sake of others without reward.** '_

' _ **Under the pale moon,** '_

' **…** _ **baptised in blood and silver…** '_

' **…** _ **thou art now the protector of thy world.** '_

' _ **Call upon my name, and rescue it from destruction.** '_

' _ **Show the strength of thy will to shatter this grim remnant of a nightmare.** '_

Ruby fell silent and slumped.

 **…**

 **…**

" **Gehrman…** "

* * *

 **AN: Ruby is not Akira and Akira is not Ruby. The Persona is an embodiment of a person's being, so everyone will have a unique one (with the exception of the wildcards due to their abilities, and that unique rule still holds for their initial one), it didn't seem right to give Arsene to Ruby considering she has totally different values, experiences, and goals. Like I said, story is only loosely based on P5 (though it is connected).**

 _Gehrman - 'The First Hunter'_

 _Arcana: Fool_

 _Legends tell of a man who achieved greatness through great deeds of strength and innovation. This man came from humble beginnings, wielding not sword nor spear, but a simple farming scythe to his first battle. Seeking to do what was necessary and required, no matter how deep his journeys were into the depths of the abyss. He did not seek glory or reward. He was no hero, merely a guardian and a product of his time._

 _Many achievements were associated with Gehrman, but most notable were being the father of modern transformable weapons, calling his creations 'Trick Weapons', and his title of 'Hunter', a title given to Huntsman or Huntresses that have transcended the boundaries of normal power, a group of which he is the first of._


End file.
